Becerra Takes Lead in Governor’s Race

Democrat Xavier Becerra has overtaken Republican Steve Hilton at the top of the California governor’s race, according to an Inside California Politics/Emerson College poll released Wednesday.

Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, leads with 19% in the June 2 primary. Hilton, a Trump-endorsed former Fox News commentator, sits at 17.1%, followed by billionaire activist Tom Steyer (D) at 16.6%.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) and former Rep. Katie Porter (D) sit fourth and fifth at 10.7% and 10.3%. All seven candidates meet tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. for their final debate before California’s top-two primary, hosted by CBS News Bay Area and the San Francisco Examiner.

Economy tops voter concerns at 42%, with housing affordability at 21%. Mail ballots have been arriving since May 4, and undecided voters have dropped to 12.1% from 23% in the previous Emerson poll.

Tourism Spending Hits Record $158.9 Billion

California tourism spending climbed to a record $158.9 billion in 2025, keeping the Golden State as the nation’s top travel destination, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Tuesday.

The industry supports about 1.2 million jobs and generated a record $13.6 billion in state and local tax revenue, according to the Visit California-commissioned report. Travel spending rose 1.7% from 2024.

California’s 1.7% year-over-year growth lagged the national rate of 4.8% in inflation-adjusted terms. International visitor spending fell by $1 billion to $25 billion, with domestic travelers accounting for 82% of the state’s total.

San Francisco’s visitor spending hit $14.2 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic highs. Officials expect the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles to push the numbers higher.

Brawley Swarm Tops 350 Quakes

More than 350 earthquakes have rattled Imperial County since Friday, including a magnitude-4.7 quake felt by nearly 200,000 people from El Centro to El Cajon.

The swarm is centered near Brawley, south of the Salton Sea, in a fault network known as the Brawley Seismic Zone. Most quakes have been small, and activity appeared to slow Sunday after the weekend’s peak.

ShakeAlerts went out to nearby phones before the magnitude-4.7 quake struck early Sunday morning. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the city of Brawley reported no injuries or significant damage.

Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said swarms are typical for the zone, which sits where the Imperial Fault meets a network of smaller cross-faults. Officials said additional earthquakes remain possible as the swarm continues.

Flying together with our sponsor

Retirement should be about your bucket list, not your grocery list. Finding extra room in your monthly budget doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul—just a few strategic moves.

The experts at FinanceBuzz have identified several simple ways to trim the fat and keep your savings where they belong: with you. 

Check out this list

➤ San Leandro: Police Chief Angela Averiett was charged Tuesday with hit-and-run by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office after allegedly clipping a woman’s car on eastbound Interstate 580 and driving away in May 2025. Averiett was driving an unmarked Jeep with police lights activated at the time. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Hundreds protested outside Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office this week over proposed cuts to senior, disability, and community services as the city tries to close a projected $643 million two-year budget deficit. Lurie has ordered city departments to identify about $400 million in ongoing cuts. (More)

➤ Sacramento International Airport is preparing for a record summer travel season as construction continues on a 5,500-space parking garage and elevated Terminal B pedestrian bridge, both due to open later this year. Officials are urging drivers to arrive before 7 a.m. on busy travel days. (More)

➤ Willows: The Glenn County seat is marking its 140th anniversary with a community time capsule the city plans to bury later this year and reopen in 2076, on the United States’ 300th birthday. Residents can submit letters, photos, and small memorabilia for the shoebox-sized capsule. (Read Story)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ Inyokern: R&L Capital Inc. has applied for a state permit to build a 238,000-square-foot AI data center that would use an estimated 12 million to 16 million gallons of water annually from the water-strained Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin. The Ridgecrest-area water district says it is reviewing the proposal. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo: Cal Poly opened its modular dorm construction site to the public Tuesday, showcasing a stacking process officials say will cut construction time roughly in half compared to conventional building methods. (More)

➤ South Bakersfield: Kern County supervisors voted Tuesday to roughly double the annual street-light fee, from $27 or $33 to $59 per parcel, in an unincorporated area covering 129 property owners. The increase, effective in July, is meant to cover rising electricity costs. (More)

➤ Clovis: The four red-tailed hawk chicks nesting atop Clovis’ Old Town water tower are growing quickly and could leave the nest within weeks, according to the Clovis Police Department. New video shows the chicks already changing from off-white to gray as they bulk up under the watch of their parents. (See Photos)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ Los Angeles: Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles police announced Tuesday more than 100 burglary arrests over the last 30 days, including a suspect tied to an international theft crew linked to more than 25 residential break-ins. Citywide burglaries are down 30% in 2026. (More)

➤ LA County: Voters will decide on Measure ER, a half-cent sales tax for five years projected to raise about $1 billion annually for hospitals, clinics, and public health programs facing Medi-Cal funding cuts. Supporters say it would help offset federal reductions, while opponents argue residents already pay some of the nation’s highest sales taxes. (More)

➤ West Hollywood: Billionaire businessman and former California gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck was arrested Tuesday on a felony warrant alleging witness intimidation tied to an investigation involving Los Angeles model Adva Lavie, who is accused of burglarizing homes of men she met online. (See Details)

➤ Coronado Unified will roll out San Diego County’s strictest school cell phone ban in the 2026-27 school year, piloting locked pouches at Coronado Middle School. Students will keep phones in the pouches all day and unlock them only when leaving campus. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: Erik Fleming, a licensed drug counselor who admitted supplying ketamine linked to Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose, was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison after cooperating with prosecutors. Fleming was the fourth person sentenced in the case tied to Perry’s 2023 death. (More)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ The Ducks face elimination at home in Game 6 tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights after Pavel Dorofeyev’s overtime winner gave Vegas a 3-2 series lead Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. at Honda Center, with Game 7 scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas if necessary. (Recap)

➤ The Giants beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Los Angeles on Tuesday, handing the defending World Series champions their fourth straight loss. Shohei Ohtani hit his first homer since April 26, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed three two-out homers in the loss. (See More)

➤ The 49ers will play two international games in 2026, facing the Rams in Melbourne and the Vikings in Mexico City as the NFL rolls out a record nine-game global slate. (More)

➤ Cal baseball closes the ACC regular season with a three-game series against rival Stanford beginning tonight. The Golden Bears will honor nine graduates during Saturday’s Senior Day. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | WNBA | NCAAB | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Turn toothbrushing from a daily battle into something kids actually enjoy with the Sonic Glow Tootbrush. Its fun, kid-friendly design and gentle 30-second cleaning help children brush longer and more effectively while encouraging healthier habits, cleaner teeth, and happier smiles—without the constant reminders or struggles from parents. (LEARN MORE)

➤ Rohit Chopra, the former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was named by Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead California’s new Business and Consumer Services Agency. The agency launches July 1 as Newsom expands California’s consumer-protection efforts amid policy changes under President Trump. (More)

➤ Paramount is publicly defending its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery in a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is reviewing the deal over antitrust concerns. CEO David Ellison has pledged 30 films a year with minimum 45-day theatrical windows. (More)

➤ Gap will close its only Oakland store at 3277 Lakeshore Ave. when its lease expires this summer, leaving the city without a Gap location. The San Francisco-founded retailer’s nearest stores will be in San Francisco and at a factory outlet in San Leandro. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ InvestorPlace is spotlighting what it calls a potential “Black Swan” AI investment opportunity tied to the explosive race for artificial intelligence dominance. As billions pour into AI infrastructure and next-generation technology, early investors could gain exposure to companies positioned to benefit from what some analysts believe may be the market’s next massive disruption. (LEARN MORE)

Flying together with our sponsor

You’ve worked hard for your retirement; now make sure your money is working just as hard for you. Stretching your budget doesn’t have to feel like a sacrifice. With a few effortless adjustments from the expert advice of FinanceBuzz, you can breathe easier knowing your finances are optimized for the long haul.

LEARN MORE

➤ The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee opens today in Angels Camp and runs through Sunday, featuring frog-jumping competitions, rodeo, demolition derby, and livestock auctions. Rosie the Ribeter’s 21-foot leap in 1986 still stands as the event record. The celebration was made famous by Mark Twain’s 1865 story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. (More)

➤ San Diego ranked No. 19 among the best U.S. summer travel destinations for 2026 in a WalletHub analysis of 100 metro areas. The area placed third for travel costs and hassles, fifth for attractions, and fourth for activities. Several other California metro areas, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, also made the list. (More)

➤ Scott Vincent Borba, co-founder of Oakland-based e.l.f. Cosmetics, will be ordained a Catholic priest May 23 in Visalia after giving away his fortune and entering seminary. Borba, 52, is part of a small share of seminarians over 50, who make up just 3% of the current class. (Read Story)

➤ The world’s oldest McDonald’s site sits along Route 66 in San Bernardino and now operates as a museum dedicated to the chain’s history. The original 1948 location once charged 15 cents for a hamburger and 10 cents for fries. Today, a McDonald’s a mile down Highland Avenue charges $2.59 for a hamburger and $2.79 to $4.99 for fries. (Read Story)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Experience all-day comfort with Grounded Footwear’s barefoot-inspired shoes, designed to support natural movement, improve posture, and reduce pressure on your feet, knees, and joints. Lightweight, flexible, and slip-resistant, they help you walk with greater ease and stability—whether you’re running errands, traveling, or staying active throughout the day.

If you were submitting one thing to the Willows time capsule to be opened in 2076, what would it be?

1. A handwritten letter
2. A photo of my family
3. Today’s headlines
4. A personal keepsake
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever adopted a rescue dog?

1. Yes, have one now: 20%
2. No: 20%
3. Yes, in the past: 17%
4. Other: 15%
5. Not yet, thinking about it: 14%
6. I’m a cat person: 14%

Before Ronald McDonald, what was the name of McDonald’s original mascot, a chef character with a hamburger for a head introduced in the early 1950s?

Show me the answer